NATIONAL COCOA DAY – NATIONAL DAY OF THE HORSE – PICK A PATHOLOGIST DAY – NATIONAL VIOLIN DAY – NATIONAL GUARD BIRTHDAY
New app reunites uses facial recognition to reunite missing pets with their owners
A new app that uses innovative, facial recognition is now being used to reunite people with their missing pets.
Pet owners can upload a photo of their missing dog or cat and click "lost" on the free app. After typing in some basic information, the app, known as Finding Rover, will scan a database of more than a million rescued or found animals that could be a match.
Finding Rover has an accuracy rate of 98%, according to the app's founder, John Polimeno. The app's database scans for fur color and texture, snout length and space between the eyes, among other traits.
"Through the Finding Rover app, we've reunited over 15,000 pets with their owners," said Polimeno."If they can identify people using facial recognition, wouldn't it be cool if they can identify dogs and cats?" he added.
Good Morning America entered a dog named Lucy into the app's database and marked her as lost. After a quick scan, Lucy's exact photo popped up in seconds.
Debra Rahl, a director of special projects at Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter in Maryland, said the app has been a saving grace.
"We struggle with the lost and found here until we've started to use this tool," Rahl told GMA.
So far, the service had partnered with nearly 600 shelters in the U.S., Canada and Australia.
"It gives everybody the opportunity to save a lost pet by just taking a photo of it," said Polimeno. "You don't need to own one to save one.
"The app is not meant for being a replacement for microchipping your pet. But it's an added layer of protection should they go missing.
The Top U.S. Google Searches Of 2018
Wondering what was on everyone’s mind last year? Well, according to Google it was the World Cup.
The search engine just released their list of the most popular searches on the site this past year, and the World Cup soccer championship in Russia, which was won by France, topped the list.
Last year Hurricane Irma was the most Google searched term, and this year another hurricane lands in second place, Hurricane Florence, followed by rapper Mac Miller, who died in September of a drug overdose. Other tragic deaths also landed on the list, with Kate Spadeand Anthony Bourdain, who both committed suicide this year, rounding out the Top Five
Top Ten U.S. Google Searches of 2018
- World Cup
- Hurricane Florence
- Mac Miller
- Kate Spade
- Anthony Bourdain
- Black Panther
- Mega Millions Results
- Stan Lee
- Demi Lovato
- Election Results
Google also released the top “How To” questions of the year, and it seems the midterm elections influenced the top question, “how to vote,” with “how to register to vote” coming in second. And it seems a lot of folks were dreaming of striking it rich, with "how to play Mega Millions" coming in third.
Top Ten U.S. Google “How To” Searches of 2018
- How to vote
- How to register to vote
- How to play Mega Millions
- How to buy Ripple
- How to turn off automatic updates
- How to get the old Snapple back
- How to play Powerball
- How to buy Bitcoin
- How to screen record
- How to get boogie down emote
Source: USA Today
Chipotle Has Your Gift Wrapping Needs Covered
To some people, how you wrap the presents is as important as what’s inside, so finding the perfect wrapping paper is key. And if you’re looking for something that’ll stand out under the tree this year, Chipotle has you covered.
The restaurant chain is selling a gift wrap set with wrapping paper that looks like their guacamole, salsa, and tin foil. The $50 set includes three rolls of paper, 10 silver bows, five gift bags that look like Chipotle carryout bags, and 10 pieces of tissue paper decorated with Chipotle ingredients.
You can also buy rolls of the wrapping paper for $14 each, but customers are limited to two each. If you’re not giving the gift of guac to the avocado lover on your list, this could be the next best thing.
Source: The Daily Meal
Restaurants Open On New Year’s Day
After you ring in the New Year, you may want to start 2019 off with some of your favorite food. And you may be nursing a hangover if you partied hard, so we included fast food joints on this list of restaurants that will be open on January 1st. Just call ahead to your location to confirm their holiday hours before getting in the car.
- Buffalo Wild Wings - Most B-Dubs locations are open on New Year’s Day, which may have something to do with football.
- Chick-fil-A - Hours vary by location, but your local restaurant will probably be open.
- Chili's - Most are open regular hours on the first of the year.
- Cracker Barrel - Call ahead to confirm, but most locations are back to normal hours on New Year’s.
- Denny's - Breakfast all day and all night, even on New Year’s Day.
- Domino's - A lot of locations will be open on January 1st, so you won’t even have to leave the house.
- Dunkin' - Check the app to see if local store’s hours before heading out, but most Dunkin locations will be open to fill you up with doughnuts and coffee to start your new year off right.
- KFC - When you wake up with a fried chicken craving, you’ll be happy most KFCs are open on New Year’s Day.
- Krispy Kreme - Lots of these are independently owned, but many will be open on January 1st. Just call ahead to double check before you go.
- Olive Garden - If it’s soup, salad, and breadsticks you desire in the New Year, you can get them here on New Year’s Day.
- Panda Express - They’ll be open with regular hours, so you can get your Chinese food fix.
- Sonic - This may be the thing your hangover needs and luckily, most locations will be open the day after New Year’s Eve.
- Starbucks - You’re gonna need your caffeine on January 1st and Starbucks gets it, that’s why most locations will be up and running.
- Taco Bell - If a run for the border will help your hangover, you’re in luck because the Taco Bell nearest you should be open on New Year’s Day.
- Waffle House - They make it easy by staying open 24/7, 365, as advertised.
Source: Delish